Monday, 23 April 2012

Gurdaspur Firing Victim’s Kin Seek Time To Record Statement

Amritsar, Punjab: The
family members of Jaspal Singh, an engineering student who was killed in police
firing on March 29 following which curfew was imposed in the city, have sought
time till April 25 to record their statements in front of the inquiry
commission probing the incident.

Jalandhar Divisional Commissioner Anurag Verma, who is
looking after the probe, said the victim’s father, Gurcharanjit Singh, wanted
to record his statement in the presence of a senior Supreme Court lawyer,
Navkiran Singh. The inquiry report has to be submitted to the state government
within a month.

Senior officials, including Mohinder Singh Kainth and
Varinder Pal Singh, former Gurdaspur Deputy Commissioner and Senior
Superintendent of Police, respectively, have already recorded their statements.

Varinder Pal claimed the circumstances flared to such an
extent that police was left with no option but to fire in the air to control
the surging mob of Sikh activists. He, however, said the bullet that hit Jaspal
Singh was not fired by any police official.

The statements of suspended DSP Manpreet Singh, the then
SHO of Gurdaspur (City) police station Shama Singh, ASI Ajvinder Singh and Naib
Tehsildar JP Salwan, who was the acting magistrate when the firing took place,
were also recorded.

The deceased’s father wondered as to why the police did
not use tear gas shells prior to actual firing even if in the air. “Police
could have given a warning to the mob to disperse if it was feared that the
situation may spin out of control. But, they started firing without any
warning,” Gurcharanjit said.

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Who is Bhai Balwant Singh Rajoana?

Sentenced to capital punishment in the case of murder of former Chief Minister Beant Singh was to be hanged on 31st of March 2012 at Patiala. With pressure from Sikhs worldwide this has been put on hold for now.

Bhai Sahib Balwant Singh, a constable, was a close friend of Shaheed Dilawar Singh, a serving police officer in the Punjab Police who on 31 August, 1995 assissinated the then Chief Minister of Punjab, Beant Singh.

Bhai Balwant Singh Rajoana had “openly confessed” an involvement and strongly expressed no faith in Indian judiciary. He refused to defend himself in the court and accepted the sentence. He accused Indian courts for applying dual standards of law and accused Indian system for shielding culprits of Sikh genocide 1984.

In his will, Bhai Balwant Singh expressed desire that his eyes should be transplanted to Hazoori Ragi of Darbar Sahib, visually impaired Bhai Lakhwinder Singh.

He was recently blessed with Amrit, where an Amrit Sanchar was especially organised for Bhai Sahib by the Jathedar of Akal Takht Sahib.